Culture
27 Oct 22

The Mary Wallopers and The Scratch confirmed for ESNS 2023

Each January, ESNS showcases 350 emerging European artists to over 40,000 visitors.

ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) has confirmed another 25 up-and-coming artists for ESNS 2023, including Irish trad-driven The Mary Wallopers and The Scratch.

The key exchange for emerging European music talent has also added Avalanche Kaito (be), Azahriah (hu), Bolis Pupul (be), Catherine Graindorge (be), Duo Ruut (ee), Elia Lombardini (fi), Fo Sho (ua), Fran Vasilić (hr), Ila (be), Kings Elliot (ch), Klangphonics (de), LASS (fr), Monsieur Doumani (cy), Naaz (nl), Robin Kester (nl), S1mba (uk-eng), Suistamon Sähkö (fi), Takeshi's Cashew (at), Tautumeitas (lv), The Jordan (nl), The Mary Wallopers (ie), The Scratch (ie), Tinlicker (nl), Tramhaus (nl), and Yavi (bg) to the line-up.

Eurosonic Noorderslag has a proven track record of helping to break new acts on the international music scene, with now well-known names such as Altin Gün, Arlo Parks, Alyona Alyona, Daði Freyr, Dua Lipa, Fontaines D.C., Hinds, Go_A, girl in red, Meduza, Meskerem Mees, MYD, Priya Ragu, Pip Blom, Pongo, Sigrid and Wet Leg.

The festival and conference attract over 4,000 music industry professionals, including 400 international festivals.

By day, the front-running conference hosts over 150 panel discussions, interviews, keynotes and more that take on urgent subjects and the need for social change in the music industry. By night, European acts perform across 40 locations in the heart of Groningen from Wednesday to Friday, and Saturday presents upcoming Dutch artists in concert venue De Oosterpoort.

Dublin band Inhaler won the overall Music Moves Europe Awards prize in 2019 while Denise Chaila was among the eight winners announced in the Music Moves Europe Talent Awards 2022.

Blurring the boundaries between rock and trad in their own wildly unique way, Dublin-based four-piece The Scratch have become a formidable presence on the live circuit – selling out a string of Irish venues, as well as London’s Camden Assembly in the run-up to Christmas.

Embracing absurdity and anarchy in equal measure, while also retaining a surprisingly sensitive melodic ear, the band’s refusal to box their sound into any easily-definable genre has resonated powerfully with a generation whose playlists are packed with Lankum and Ye Vagabonds alongside Gilla Band and Fontaines D.C.

Initially rising to prominence after a video of them busking at the Rory Gallagher Festival went viral in 2017, The Scratch have built their reputation on the raw spectacle of their live shows. Their latest album Couldn't Give A Rats arrived in 2020.

Brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna formed The Mary Wallopers as a three-piece ballad group traveling the length and breadth of Ireland singing & collecting songs. The trio have just announced a new Róisín Dubh gig, with tickets on sale this Friday. The Dundalk outfit will release their self-titled debut album tomorrow.

The album is the culmination of several years of the Wallopers touring all corners of Ireland, collecting tradition songs before dusting them down and reimagining them in their Louth studio. The result is a record that perfectly channels an island’s musical history whilst never once sounding overawed by the task in hand. The Mary Wallopers album features eleven tracks arranged by the band and recorded at Ailfionn Studios in Dublin with producer Chris Barry.